William Tyler’s Music from First Cow is out now on all digital platforms, releasing the same day as the A24-released, Kelly Reichardt-directed film for which he composed the music. A physical version of the score will be available on July 31; pre-order on vinyl today in the Merge Records store. On March 31, Tyler will make an appearance at the Belcourt Theatre in Nashville for a special screening of “First Cow.”
Watch the trailer for “First Cow”:
In “First Cow,” Kelly Reichardt once again trains her perceptive and patient eye on the Pacific Northwest, this time evoking an authentically hardscrabble early nineteenth century way of life. A taciturn loner and skilled cook (John Magaro) has traveled west and joined a group of fur trappers in Oregon Territory, though he only finds true connection with a Chinese immigrant (Orion Lee) also seeking his fortune; soon the two collaborate on a successful business, although its longevity is reliant upon the clandestine participation of a nearby wealthy landowner’s prized milking cow. Reichardt again shows her distinct talent for depicting the peculiar rhythms of daily living and ability to capture the immense, unsettling quietude of rural America. Regarding Tyler’s score, Reichardt says: “William Tyler turned up at the First Cow edit room with his several guitars, a dulcimer, and long fingernails. He got right to work, picking and strumming—it was all as good as it could be.”
William Tyler’s recent full-length album is 2019’s Goes West, in which the Wall Street Journal says “exists in the spaces between genres and styles,” one that “finds Mr. Tyler taking harmonic and melodic development to a new level.” He also recorded an Aquarium Drunkard Lagniappe Session featuring covers of Yo La Tengo, Dvořák, Handel and Fleetwood Mac. This month will see Tyler for a run of shows in the Southeast with Steve Gunn and Mary Lattimore, including an appearance at Big Ears Festival in Knoxville, before returning to Nashville for the special screening of “First Cow.”
Stream and/or purchase Goes West here.
William Tyler – photo by Dave Scholten
